LAHORE: After experiencing the bitter taste of defeat at the hands of the PTI multiple times, the PML-N leadership is now searching for a ‘narrative’ to counter Imran Khan, especially in light of upcoming elections in Punjab following the dissolution of the provincial assembly.
This time PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif is the man in charge. For this purpose, the three-time prime minister has tasked some senior party leaders to start working on framing a ‘complete chargesheet’ on Imran Khan and those of his facilitators in the establishment (a former army chief and two ex-spy chiefs) and the judiciary (a former chief justice) so that the entire party could target them in unison during the election campaign, a cabinet member told Dawn on Sunday.
There has been a strong realisation in the party that its ‘popular narrative’ — respect the vote (vote ko izzat do) — is needed to be recrafted to match with Mr Khan’s narrative of ‘not kneeling down’ before the ‘foreign masters’ and the establishment.
The PML-N needs a refurbished narrative because attempts to malign the PTI chairman through Toshakhana or audio leaks have not borne fruit so far. At the same time, the PML-N members eyeing Punjab elections within a few months are also worried about the rising popularity of the former prime minister.
